Eckstein takes a second, inks deal with Padres

Infielder welcomes move from shortstop

Notes

One year after leading the majors in waiver claims, the Padres made their second waiver pickup of 2009: pitcher Jae Kuk Ryu, who worked 1 1/3 innings with the Tampa Bay Rays last year. The South Korean has appeared in 28 major-league games, one as a starter, going 1-3 with a 7.49 ERA.

Reliever Heath Bell yesterday filed for salary arbitration.

Padres President and Chief Operating Officer Dick Freeman has told Padres staffers and other major-league officials that his contract comes due by April 1 and that while he may be leaving the job, he remains interested in baseball-related work. Padres owner John Moores has praised Freeman for smoothing the club's move into Petco Park. Towers has said Freeman stabilized the front office after returning to the president's job in October 2002. Freeman also was a Padres executive from 1981-1995 and was COO of the Pirates from 1996 to 2002.